Neighbors
by 59katie
Summary: After Walker is accused of brutality during an arrest D.A. Holland suspends Alex from her job as a A.D.A. and refuses to issue an arrest warrant that Walker wants. Walker lends Alex's mixing bowl to their new neighbor.


Neighbors by Katie 59

Chapter One

Alex who had just searched all through her kitchen for her favorite mixing bowl went into the living room and asked her husband " Walker have you've seen my mixing bowl?" Walker answered back " What mixing bowl are you talking about Alex? You have at least five of them."

" No Walker I do not have five mixing bowls. I have four different size storage bowls with lids. What I am looking for is the big ceramic one that I've had for years. I always put it in the cabinet down to the right of the oven and it's not there. The storage bowls I keep in the cabinet above and to the left of the stove. So to ask you again have you've seen my mixing bowl?" Alex responded.

" Oh that one. I lent it to one of our new neighbors. I think her name is Jordan Daniels." Walker said causing Alex to question him " Are you trying to tell me that you just handed over my favorite mixing bowl to someone without bothering to ask me first if it was okay? Why would you do that?"

Walker not understanding what the problem was asked her " Alex what's the big deal? It's a mixing bowl just like any other mixing bowl. If you need to mix something up can't you just use one of the other bowls for now? Jordan promised that she would bring it back tomorrow evening." After taking a minute to calm herself down Alex answered her husband " Yes I can use another bowl but Walker it wasn't just any mixing bowl, it was my mother's. I've had it ever since she died." Walker got up from where he had been sitting on the couch went to his wife and offered " If you want me to I can go over there right now and get it back for you."

" It's okay honey, you don't have to do that. But please don't ever lend my bowl out again. It's the last thing that I have that was my mother's. In the meantime I'll just use another bowl to mix up the brownies in." Alex replied then headed back into the kitchen to make her brownies. Walker followed her in to ask her " Alex what about the table cloths that you have stored in the attic? Weren't they your mother's too?"

" Don't you remember that I told you last week that Sam and Cooper got a hold of them and scribbled all over them with magic markers? You know the evening you were supposed to be watching the children but Trivette came over and the two of you watched the baseball game on T.V. instead of paying attention to the children? All six of them I might add." Alex said.

" The scribbling didn't come out of the tablecloths? I washed them right after you told me about it." Walker told his wife who informed him " Walker I told you that the tablecloths were dry clean only and that I would take them to one. When you washed the table cloths against my wishes you ruined them. I took them to a dry cleaners but there was nothing they could do to restore them. And can we please just drop the subject of the table cloths because I'm still a little bit mad about that one." Walker nodded okay and left the kitchen realizing that his wife was upset about losing things that reminded her of her mother. Walker then decided that he was going to drop by his neighbor's house on his way to work in the morning to retrieve Alex's mixing bowl.

Walker knocked on the door to his neighbor's house and it was answered by a man who asked him " What do you want?" Walker replied " My name is Walker and I stopped by to get my wife's mixing bowl. I lent it to Jordan." My man then said " My name is Trennon Daniels and Jordan is my wife. Her name is Mrs. Daniels, not Jordan by the way. Now do you care to tell me why you are lending her your wife's things? If you're being neighborly in order to hit on my wife you can just stop it right now. You have a wife so stay away from mine. Have I made myself clear enough for you?"

" Why don't you just give me the bowl?" Walker asked Daniels who smirkingly replied " Sorry, can't do that. Somehow that ugly mixing bowl ended up falling off the counter last night and it shattered into a million little pieces. Being the nice guy that I am though I put all the peices in a bag and put the bag besides the garbage can. You can just go ahead and fetch the bag from the trash and after you do that you can glue it back together." Daniels then shut the door in Walker's face. Walker was tempted to knock on the door until Daniels reopened it then give him a lesson on manners but didn't because of the meeting he had scheduled in his office concerning a drug bust.

Once he got to work Walker held the briefing in his private office. Trivette, Gage, Cooke, Swanson and Cooper were the ones who were going to be doing the bust at the Cell Block Bar. As he was telling them how he wanted them to do the bust Gage asked him " Walker where are you going to be at during the bust?" Walker answered " Arresting Briton."

" Finally, he's gotten away with things for far too long. About time the D.A.'s office issued a warrant for him. Who's prosecuting by the way? Is it Alex?" Gage said to Walker. " Ranger Gage I suggest that you worry about the bust at the Cell Block bar for now." Trivette told him so Gage nodded okay and Walker continued the briefing. After the meeting was over with and the others left his office Walker asked Trivette " Do you know of a place where you can find old mixing bowls?"

After laughing Trivette answered " Yes Walker, stores do sell mixing bowls. But if you don't want to go to a store you should be able to find an old mixing bowl on the internet. What kind do you want by the way? Because there are a ton of web pages that you're going to have to look through if you don't narrow the search down." Walker said " I need to replace Alex's favorite mixing bowl. I lent it to my neighbor and it got broken."

" So just go to a store and buy her another one." Trivette suggested but Walker told him " I can't do that Trivette, it was Alex's mother's. I have to find one exactly like it."

Trivette then informed him " Walker I hate to break it to you but that mixing bowl wasn't just a mixing bowl to Alex. To her it was a link to her mother which is now gone and you can't fix the situation by buying her another one that looks like it to replace it. It was irreplacable. You're in really hot water this time and I am so glad that I'm not in your shoes. One thing that I learned when I was married to Erica was to never lend any of her kitchen stuff to anyone without asking her first. Walker think of it this way, how would you feel if Alex just handed over one of your feed buckets without asking you first? And for it to have been her mother's makes it a lot worse."

" Don't you a drug bust to conduct?" Walker pointedly asked Trivette who answered that he did and left Walker's private office.

Chapter Two

Walker went and arrested Briton who when he was being placed in cuffs sneered " Hey Walker everyone knows that you being the good little Ranger that you are you just had to make this bust yourself in order to kiss up to your wife's boss. What I don't get though is why Holland's the D.A. instead of her. Although if she was the D.A. I'll bet that she would have had you arrest me a few years back. Moody never had the balls to issue an arrest warrant for me no matter how many times your little wifey wanted him to do so. As for Holland finally issuing an arrest warrant for me I'll bet that he only did it to get her off of his back about it. Maybe he should have had the guts to stand firm and not send a flunky like you to arrest me. Everyone including you knows that I won't be convicted of anything, not even if your wife gets to prosecute me. I'll be a free man in no time at all but I will see to it that someone pays for my having my day interupted by an arrest. So Walker why don't you go and tell D.A. Holland that he just made the biggest mistake of his career. It's about all that you're good for now that you're getting older. They should have put you out to pasture a long time ago." Walker ignored Briton and placed him in the squad car so that he could be taken for booking.

Several hours later when Walker was returning to Ranger headquarters he ran into Alex who spotted him and asked " Can you spare a minute to talk with me Captain Walker?" Walker replied " Is your office okay A.D.A. Cahill-Walker?" Alex answered that was okay so they went to her office. After they were seated Alex turned on a recording device then questioned her husband " Captain Walker when you arrested Briton did he resist arrest? And if he did so were you forced to subdue him using your martials arts skills? Please think before you answer me because your answers can be used in future legal proceeedings. If you'd like to you can consult a lawyer before answering me."

Walker stated " When I arrested Briton he did not resist arrest. I did not use my martial arts skills on him at any time during the arrest. Officer Thomas can attest to the fact that there wasn't a mark on Briton when he placed him in his squad car for the trip to police headquarters. Any other questions A.D.A. Cahill-Walker?"

" I have no more questions at this time Captain Walker." Alex formally said then turned off the recording device then she told Walker " Briton right now is in the infirmary at the county jail recovering from what most people would call a brutal beating. Briton has numerous bruises on his body that have been documented for the record. He claims that you assualted him after you had him in cuffs and that's why he wasn't able to fight back to stop the beating. I know that he is lying Walker but Holland just very formally told me that this matter will be investigated by his office, a citizen's review panel and most likely the feds. It seems that Officer Thomas has refused to answer any questions without being granted inmmunity in the matter."

Walker told her " Briton was only arrested three hours ago Alex. How could all these agencies be investigating already?" Alex replied " It does strike me as a little too supsicious that they already have an investigation going. It was almost like someone was just waiting for an oppurtunity to go after you. Or they set one up with the help of Briton and quite possibly Officer Thomas. Walker this really worries me, it may end up costing you your badge."

" I'm not going to lose my badge when I've done nothing wrong Alex." Walker reassured his wife who nodded okay then reached for her phone which had just started ringing. After answering it she said " Yes Commander Harland Captain Walker is here." Alex then handed the phone over to Walker. Harland asked him " Walker did you assault Briton when you arrested him earlier today?"

" No, I did not Commander Harland." Walker answered his boss who told him " That's good enough for me Walker but it might not be good enough for other people though so you might face charges in this matter. However I run the Texas Rangers so until there are charges brought against you in the Briton matter you will stay on the job. Walker you should know that neither your office or my office can be involved in any more investigation of Briton and that includes finding out who really assaulted him. Also the governor just called me to express his concern in this matter but I told him that there was nothing to worry about, that the truth would come out that you had nothing to do with it. Please pass what I just told you onto your wife because I know that she's worried about you." Walker hung up the phone then told Alex what Harland had told him.

" Walker everything is happening so quickly and that's not how these things usually go. As a matter of fact it takes months for these types of investigations to even start and that's usually after a public outcry. Something is really wrong here." Alex said to her husband who agreed with her. He then left her private office only to run into Phil Holland in Alex's outer office. After squaring his shoulders and puffing out his chest Holland stated " Captain Cordell Walker of the Texas Rangers Company B. I am here to inform you that my office will co-operate with any and all investigations into the brutal beating of Britron allegedly at your hands. Good day." Holland then went into Alex's private office so Walker followed him in.

" A.D.A. Cahill-Walker you are to turn over to me any and all files that you have on Briton and any files that concern Captain Walker and possible police brutality. I want those files on my desk by two this afternoon. After you are done doing that clean up your files on your pending cases and have your secretary deliver them to my office by five. As soon as that is done consider yourself on suspension until the Briton case is resolved. I won't have my office seen as a place which condones police brutalty and that would appear to be the case if you were to continue working here during the investigations into your husband." Holland told her and without waiting for an response left Alex's private office. Seeing the stunned look on his wife's face Walker closed the door to her private office then pulled her into his arms as she asked him " What is going on here?"

" I don't know lady but I will not stand by while soneone punishes you. You did nothing wrong and there's no way that I'm letting Holland place you on suspension." Walker stated but Alex told him " Honey as much as I hate to say this but if Phil suspended me because of false allegations against you by Briton...Well I have no desire to work here anymore. I never took Phil for a man who would cave in to pressure from anyone but I guess that I was wrong about him. Now promise me that you will not go and pay him a visit, that's the last thing that I need right now." A reluctant Walker nodded okay so Alex then said " I have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. After I'm done here today I'll stop at the grocery store on my way home so would you mind picking up my mixing bowl on your way home? I really want it back home before something bad happens to it." Walker kissed his wife on the cheek then left her private office knowing that Alex was going to be very upset that evening when he told her that her bowl had already been broken.

Chapter Three

When Walker got home Alex greeted him at the front door and questioned him " Honey did you get my mixing bowl? Is it in your truck?" Walker replied " Alex about your mixing bowl, when I went to get it this morning Jordan's husband Trennon told me that it fell off of a counter and broke. Alex as soon as I can I'll find one that looks just like it and I'll buy you a new one. Can I use your computer later to search for one? I couldn't find one in the store that I stopped in on the way home."

Alex then said " Well go back over there right now and get my mixing bowl back. I can glue it back together if it's not broken too bad. I won't be able to use it for mixing things but I would still have it as a reminder of my mother." Walker answered " Daniels told me that when it fell from the counter it shattered into a million little pieces and he put them into a bag and put it out by his trash. If you want me to I'll go get it and bring it back here for you."

Instead of answering him with words Alex shook her head yes so Walker went to the nieghbor's house where he knocked on the door which was opened by Jordan so Walker told her " Mrs. Daniels my wife would like me to take her mixing bowl back to her. I understand that your husband placed it in a bag and put the bag by your trash? So if you could show me where you keep your trash I'll get the bag and be on my way."

" Please call me Jordan. As for that ugly mixing bowl why even bother taking it back home? When Trennon accidently knocked it from the counter it shattered into a bunch of little peices. It can't be put back together again." Jordan answered Walker who told her " Mrs. Daniels my wife wants that bowl back and I'm going to return it to her."

" Fine, if you insist." Jordan said then took Walker to where they kept their trash. She picked up a bag and handed it to Walker. Walker took the bag then headed to his truck as Trennon Daniels drove up in his beamer. Getting out of his car Daniels demanded of Walker " What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you just this morning to stop hitting on my wife?"

" Honey he was just getting his wife's bowl for her." Jordan answered her husband who ignored her and got into Walker's face to tell him " I think that I'd better make it clear to this old man that he's to stop flirting with you. Now the question is do I do this the hard way or the easy way." Walker just stepped around Daniels who got mad and said " The hard way then." He then grabbed Walker by the back of his neck with one hand while he raised the other to hit him. Walker quickly spun around blocked Daniels' raised arm and stated " Don't ever try that again."

Daniels snarled " I'll try whatever I want to." He then tried to punch Walker in the head but Walker avoided it then quickly got Daniels in a headlock. Jordan yelled at Walker " Please Cordell you don't know who you're dealing with. Trennon is a black belt in karate, he just earned it. Let him go before he stops being nice and hurts you. He's younger than you are and he could really hurt you without meaning to."

Walker shoved Daniels away as he said " The name is Walker." Walker then resumed his trip to his truck. Daniels who had fallen to the ground when Walker shoved him away got up and ran after Walker to attack him from behind. Sensing that Daniels was coming after him Walker quickly spun around and kicked Daniels in his abdomen. Grabbing his stomach Daniels fell to the ground moaning as his wife screamed " What have you done to my husband? I'm going to call the cops and have you arrested for hurting my Trennon."

Walker just got into his truck and drove home. After entering the house and finding Alex in the kitchen Walker handed the bag to Alex who opened it. After seeing how many peices her mother's mixing bowl was now in Alex said " Don't you ever lend any of my things out again. Got that Cordell John Walker?" Walker answered " Alex I will find you another one just like that one for you."  
" You can't replace it, it was irreplacable. It was my mother's and her mother's before that and I was going to give it to Angela someday but I can't do that now thanks to you." Alex snapped then threw the bag containing her mixing bowl into the trash can. Walker went to pull his wife into a hug but she told him " Leave me alone Cordell, I mean it." Walker went into the living room with his children.

Later on after they had the children in bed and they were seated in their living room Walker tried to bring up the subject of Alex's now broken mixing bowl again but she insisted on changing the subject to what was happening because of Holland placing her on suspension over the Briton case by telling him " Just so you know Cordell I have no intention of working for the Tarrant County D.A.'s office as long as Phil Holland remains the D.A. there." Walker then asked her " What about the fact that you feel so strongly about seeing that justice is served?"

" I can always join the Attorney General's office." Alex answered her husband who then said " I thought that you didn't like the way that Gleason ran the Federal Attorney's office out of Dallas?" Alex replied " I don't. I was talking about joining the state's Attorney General's office. I have had several offers from them in the past. I'll wait and see how things go with the Briton case then I'll call them. Now not to change the subject but I'm tired so I'm turning in for the night. Why don't you lock up?" Alex headed upstairs while Walker locked up for the night. When he went into his bedroom Walker found Alex holding a picture of her mother so he told her " I am sorry Alex." Laying the picture back down on her bedside stand Alex replied " I know that you are Cordell and that it's not your fault the mixing bowl was broken. But that was the last thing that I had of my mother's and I was planning on passing it on to our oldest daughter."

Walker simply pulled his wife into his arms. After standing there for a few minutes Alex said " We can talk about the Briton case tomorrow, tonight all I want to do is to take a shower then go to bed."

" Need any help with that?" Walker teasingly asked as Alex began removing her clothes. After dropping them in the hamper she said " Sure do cowboy, what are you waiting for?" Walker quickly stripped and followed his wife into the bathroom.

Chapter Four

Trennon Daniels had his wife Jordan Daniels call the sheriff's office to file a complaint against Walker and Deputy Darren himself came out to their ranch to take the report. After listening to the pair explain what had happened Deputy Darren asked them " Do you really want to file a formal complaint of assault against Captain Walker? Before you answer please realize that you Mr. Jordan just stated that you went after Walker from behind. Now in most people's eyes that makes you the one who tried to assault Walker." Daniels answered " Yes I went after him from behind after he threw me to the ground. What else was I supposed to do when he won't get the idea and leave my wife alone? He's been over here twice that I know of hitting on Jordan and that's unacceptable in my book. So you just go back to your office and do your paperwork so that Walker can be arrested and be put in jail where he belongs. And when you are hauling him off to jail you should tell him that he's lucky that I didn't give him the beating that he deserves for going after my wife. I have a black belt in karate."

Deputy Darren replied " Okay folks, here's what going to happen. If you insist I'll file my report and in the report I'll mention the fact that Captain Cordell Walker of the Texas Rangers Company B. pulled his punches when defending himself from a younger man who attacked him from behind. As for Walker hitting on your wife, have you ever seen his wife? There is no way that any man would hit on another woman when he was married to a woman like A.D.A. Cahill-Walker, she's a looker if I do say so myself. By the way Walker isn't in the habit of starting fights but he is in the habit of finishing them. Now do you really want me to file my report tonight or would you like to think it over for a couple of days? If I were the two of you I would think it over for a few days. Understand what I'm telling you?" Knowing that Deputy Darren wasn't going to be filing the report that night or anytime soon for that matter the Daniels said that they would think it over for a few days and then get back to Deputy Darren.

Several days later Walker was in his private office when Cooper stuck his head in to ask him " Captain Walker should I send Captain Grear in now? He said that he had to see you about something." Walker told Cooper to send Captain Grear in. After Grear was seated he said " Captain Walker I know that your office is not permitted to further investigate Briton due to his claiming that you assaulted him when you arrested him a few days ago but there's nothing to stop me from telling you what I know about Officer Thomas. Interested?" Walker replied " And what do you know about officer Thomas?"

" Rumor has it that he's been known to fequent strip clubs that were said to have been run in the past by none other than Briton. This is off the record but Thomas was brought before a police review board for assaualting a stripper outside the back door at Heaven's Delight. The stripper was beaten so badly that she ended up in the hospital for two weeks. And when she was released she had to go to a rehab center to regain her her sense of balance. Apparently during the beating her one eardrum was broken by a blow to the side of her head and it caused her problems with dizzyness and not being able to walk straight because of the dizzyness. Anyhow to make a long story short Holland was prepared to file assaualt charges against Officer Thomas but dropped them after the stripper named someone else as the person who beat her. This other person confessed and in return Holland agreed to a plea deal in which he got probation. Now Walker this other man was the stripper's exboyfriend, so it was a plausible story. Thomas was then reinstated as a officer in the police department over some very serious objections by some of his fellow officers. For some reason the mayor's office wanted him back on duty. Hell the union didn't even go to bat for him. When pressed about his lack of suport for Thomas the head of the union released a very brief statement saying that they were commited to looking out for the rights of wrongly accused officers. As for the day you arrested Briton Officer Thomas was supposed to have been off duty but at the last minute he switched shifts with another officer and was available to escort Briton to jail. Also the squad car's computer had some sort of malfunction and the data from that day was lost. What I don't understand however is why Holland suspended your wife over this. I mean if I was the D.A. and the spouse of one of my A.D.A.'s was accused of assaulting someone I would push for that person to get suspended, not their spouse." Grear said to Walker who answered him " Thanks for telling me Grear. As to Holland suspending my wife you can bet that he'll regret it."

Grear half teasingly questioned Walker " You aren't going to pay him a visit and demonstrate your considerable martial art skills on him. Are you?" Walker replied " No I'm not. Holland just lost the best A.D.A. that ever worked out of that office."

" I really don't blame A.D.A. Cahill-Walker for looking for employment elsewhere though. What is Holland thinking these days? I know that the death of his father hit him hard but still that was no reason for him to boot his wife and kid out of the Holland Estate. Maybe the fact that a member of my department found Holland in a back room with a naked stripper during a raid for drugs at The Devil's Hornocopia could explain some of his behavior. Walker several years ago wasn't your wife assigned to prosecute the former owner's of both Heaven's Delight and The Devil's Hornocopia for running a prositution ring out of both of them? Didn't she get a conviction?" Captain Grear added.

" Yes Alex did prosecute them and she got a conviction on all counts but they appealed the convictions and a state judge tossed out the convictions. Alex was expecting Holland to allow her to prosecute them again but Holland assigned the newest A.D.A. the case and they got off. I don't know what Holland's problem is but he'd better fix it before someone else fixes it for him." Walker stated. Getting up from his chair Grear said " I hear you Walker and if my office should happen to find anything more out we'll let you know." Walker nodded okay and Grear left his private office.

Chapter Five

Early one morning after her husband had left for work Alex had all five of her children outside with her as she tended to her roses. As she was showing Ray how to carefully cut a rose off of a bush with a pair of garden shears a car pulled up and Kim got out of it with her young son. After admiring the toddler Alex asked Kim " How about we go into the house? The children can get cleaned up then we can catch up with each other." Kim answered " I'd like that, I really need to talk to someone about what's happened ever since the senior Holland passed away."

After they were in the house Alex sent the two older children upstairs to clean themselves up while she and Betty saw to it that the triplets cleaned up. After all the children were cleaned up to Alex's satisfaction Betty told Alex that she was going to the mall and was going to take Angela and Ray with her. The triplets protested that they wanted to go to but Alex told them that they were going to stay home that time but that she would take them the next time she went to the mall. Betty left with Angela and Ray then Alex set the dining room table up so that the triplets could color in their coloring books on it. Then she and Kim went into the kitchen to drink some coffee while they watched the children coloring through the counter opening between the two rooms. After a few minutes of silence Kim blurted out " Alex what do you do when the love of your life takes up drugs and turns on you?"

After patting Kim on her shoulder Alex allowed her the time to compose herself then asked her " Kim how do you know that Phil is doing drugs? I know from what I've heard recently that his behavior has been out of place for him but I never took him for someone who would take up drugs."

" Me neither but it's like just as soon as his father was buried Phil became a completely different man. I don't know if you know this but he tossed me and junior out of the Holland mansion last month after I confronted him about the rumor that was going around about him being found with a naked stripper during a raid at The Devil's Hornocopia. Alex I thought that place was shut down when you got the previous owners convicted of running a prositution ring out of it and Heaven's Delight." Kim said to Alex who replied " The conviction was overturned on appeal and the D.A. saw fit to assign the newest A.D.A. the case for the retrial, they got off on all charges then. As soon as they were let out of jail they sold both of the places to Briton and he sold it to the new owner, or at least that's the paperwork says. Kim could anything else have happened besides the death of Phil's father to cause this change in behavior in your husband? If you don't want to tell me about it that's okay but you know that I'm willing to help you out any way that I can. Maybe if we know what happened we can still help Phil before it's too late."

" I think that it's already too late to help Phil but thanks for offering to. I know that you'll help me no matter what Alex and that's why I'm here. As much as it pains me to say this I need to ask you for a loan. When Phil tossed me out he froze all the joint bank accounts and right now I don't have the money to get my own place. I do have some funds in my credit union checking account from when I worked as a police officer but that's not enough for me to pay the first month's rent and a security deposit, not to mention getting furniture and everything else that I need. I had been living with a police academy room mate but she said that I had to move out by next weekend because her boyfriend was moving in there with his son and the spare bedroom was needed for the son. Alex I swear that I will pay you back just as soon as I'm back on my feet. I'm going to rejoin the police force next week so I will have a steady paycheck coming in. If you need me to I'll sign a promisary note for you." Kim all but begged Alex who replied " Just tell me how much you need and I'll write you a check out. Also Kim do you have childcare lined up? If you don't I'm going to be spending a lot of time at home in the near future and I'll be glad to watch junior for you."

Kim handed Alex a peice of paper that had a dolllar amount writen on the top of it along with an itemized list of what the money was going for. As Alex was taking the list Kim asked her " What about your job at the D.A.'s office? How are you going to work there and watch my son at the same time?" Alex responded " I no longer work for the D.A."s office. I was placed on suspension by the D.A. because of Briton accusing Walker of assaulting him during an arrest. The D.A. saw fit to suspend me because of a false allegation against my husband and I will not work for anyone like that, ever."

" Alex I'm so sorry. I know how much it meant to you to be a prosecutor." Kim lamented but Alex stated " I can still be a prosecutor with the State Attorney General's office. I'm going to call them after this thing with Briton is resolved. Now Kim not to change the subject but if you need me to I can watch junior while you cash that check and arrange for a place to stay. If it takes you awhile that's okay because I have no plans for today." Kim quickly agreed to what Alex had just suggested.

As she was getting ready to leave the ranch the doorbell rang so Kim answered the door a man was standing there and he said " Hi there my name is Trennon Daniels and I have to say Mrs. Walker that Deputy Darren was right when he said that you were quite the looker." Kim answered him " I'm not Mrs. Walker." Kim then called out " Alex there's someone here to see you."

Kim left the ranch house as Alex went into the hallway where Daniels was waiting, he whistled at her then said " Wow this place really has some good looking women here. I'll have to stop by here more often in order to get to know my new neighbors." After Alex glared at him he added " My name is Trennon Daniels and I came here to say how sorry I was that your bowl was accidently broken at my house the other night. I also came here to tell you that your husband for whatever reason seems to be interested in my wife. And from looking at you I can see where Deputy Darren would think that wasn't the case but I'm afraid that it is. Mrs. Walker since we're neighbors I'd prefer not to have your husband arrested for assaulting me at my place after I told him to stop hitting on my wife. But I must warn you out of a sense of fairness that if he does it again I won't hesitate to knock some sense into him and then have him arrested. Even though he's older than me I do have to defend my wife from him hitting on her. What is thinking doing that when he has you for a wife? Maybe he thinks that he has to prove to himself that younger women still want him. Older men will sometimes do that."

" Okay neighbor let's get one thing straight right now, my husband was not hitting on your wife. Nor will he ever hit on her. Also he doesn't have to prove to himself that younger women want him. They still are pretty obvious about wanting him, not that he's interested in them. My husband never has hit on another woman. As for you knocking some sense into Walker younger men than you have been taken down by him. If you are ever foolish enough to attack Walker again make no mistake about it, he will be the one knocking some sense into you. Now good day Mr. Daniels." Alex replied then showed Daniels the door.

Later on that day Gage and Cooper were at A.D.A.'s Brantley's office to get an arrest warrant so that they could search a garage that was suspected of being a chop shop. As they were waiting in A.D.A.'s Brantley's outer office for the warrant D.A. Holland entered the office and said to them " Gentlemen the arrest warrant that you talked Branley into drawing up for the two of you won't be forthcoming." Gage politely asked " Can you please tell us why? We put a lot of hard work into that case."

Holland replied " Not nearly enough in my opinion. Really your evidence if you can call it that amounts to nothing more than a ex-employee running his mouth about his former employer." Cooper broke in " We have a lot more evidence than that and you know it. For instance we have video proof of them chopping up cars into parts so that they could resell them."

" Not good enough. I will not allow a search warrant to be issued in this case so just save your breath. When and only when I feel you have enough cause for a search warrant will I allow my office to grant you one. In the meantime perhaps the two of you should apply yourselves to gathering more evidence." Holland told the pair and as they were leaving Brantley's outer office Cooper muttered " This is going to make Walker mad."

" So what if it makes Walker mad? After he's arrested for assault and battery he won't be running the Rangers anyhow. So who cares what he thinks? As a matter of fact why don't the two of you go tell Walker that he'll be in handcuffs by this time next week? Because I plan to arrest him just as soon as officer Thomas swears under oath that Walker beat Briton up while he was arresting him." Holland said to them then he went into Branley's private office. Cooper looked at Gage who said " Let's go Cooper." They then went back to Ranger headquarters.

When they returned to Ranger headquarters the pair went into Walker's private office where they told him about D.A. Holland refusing them the search warrant for the chop shop. After listening to what the pair had to say Walker told them " I'll go and talk with Holland myself." As Walker went to leave his private office Gage said " Walker I don't think that is such a good idea right now. Holland also told us that he plans to arrest you for assault just as soon as Officer Thomas swears under oath that you beat up Briton when you had him handcuffed. Walker is there something going on here that we don't know about? I mean D.A. Holland has always been helpful to us in the past and now he's acting like we're incompetent or something. Also I know that I shouldn't say this about a sitting D.A. but there's a rumor going around that Holland was caught with a naked stripper in the back room of The Devil's Hornocopia during a raid by the police department. I mean this is all part of some of crazy sting operation. Isn't it?"

" No it isn't Gage. You and Cooper go write up your reports on the chop shop and then take the rest of the day off. Tommorrow you'll work with Swanson on the abduction and beating of the private school principal while Cooper will team with Cooke on the armed robberies of the computer stores." Walker told them and they left his office.

Walker entered the D.A.'s office and asked the receptionist Miss Gerry " Is D.A. Holland here?" She answered " Yes he is Ranger Walker but right now there are two men in his office that he's meeting with. If you will please take a seat he'll see you just as soon as he can." Walker took a seat.

A short time later Walker heard raised voices coming from Holland's private office as did the receptionist who told him " Captain Walker I don't like the sound of that at all. This is the third time this week that those gentlemen have been in D.A. Holland's office and it seems like they have been treatening him more each time. Or at least they're voices are getting louder with each visit. I know that he's told me to stay out of it but I'm afraid that something really bad is going to happen to D.A. Holland and soon from the sounds that we're hearing from his office." As he got up where he had been sitting Walker asked her " Who's in there with D.A. Holland?"

Miss Gerry answered " A. S. Brixler and Jeremy Stander, they are the attorneys for a man by the name of Briton and you didn't hear this from me but rumor has it that he is still the real owner of Heaven's Delight and The Devil's Hornocopia. The ones listed on the paperwork are just shadow owners, if you know what I mean." Walker went to the door to Holland's private office and tried to turn the doorknob but it was locked so he knocked on the door as he said " Holland you in there? We need to talk."

The door was opened a minute later by a flustered looking Holland who asked him " What do you want Walker? Are you here to plea for your wife's job because if you are just forget it." Walker looked at the two men as he replied " Is everything okay D.A. Holland?" One of them men said " Remember what we discussed Holland. And do us a favor will you? Say hi for us to that lovely wife of your's and that very cute little son of your's."

After they left Walker followed Phil into his private office and asked him " Phil is there anything that I can do for you? If you're in some sort ot trouble it's not too late for you to get help." A weary Holland answered " Nothing is wrong Ranger Walker. As a matter of fact I have no problems at all." Walker tried again " Tell me what's going on and I will help you get out from under it. You have my word." Holland replied " I'm just dandy and it's going to stay that way. So just take these search warrants that you're here for and be on your way Ranger Captain Walker." Holland then grabbed what looked to be a sealed manilla folder along with some legal papers and handed them to Walker who took them and looked at Phil who motioned towards the door. Getting the hint Walker left the D.A.'s private office.

Walker waited until he was in his own private office to open the sealed manilla folder. After quickly reading the contents of it he called for Trivette to come into his office. After reading the documents Trivette asked " How are we going to get Holland out of the trouble that he's in?" Taking the documents back Walker answered " It's not going to be easy. Trivette we need to talk with Holland somewhere other than his office. I think that it may be bugged from the way that he was acting earlier. The attorneys for the real owner of Heaven's Delight and The Devil's Hornocopia were in Holland's private office yelling at him earlier. By the way it's still Briton from what Holland has written down in these documents."  
" He should have come to us a lot sooner. I'm not so sure that we can keep him out of jail with all the things that he's put into these documents. I'm going to drop by his office and insist that he join me for a night out, a gentlemen's night out as it were. After I get him there I'll call you and you come join us at Pleasure's Playpen." Trivette suggested to Walker who replied " I'm not going to be in a strip club Trivette."

He answered " It will be in the back room and no one will know that you're there Walker. Okay?" Walker nodded okay and Trivette left his office. A short time later Walker's phone rang and it was a shaken Trivette " Walker it's already too late. When I got to his office his receptionist was crying that she had just heard a gunshot. I kicked the door open and Holland was sitting slumped at his desk with a bullet wound to the side of his head, there was no pulse. I called the police already but what do you want me to do about those documents that he gave you?"

" I'll call Captain Grear and tell him about them. Also I'll see if Alex can find out where Kim is at. She'll need to know before it makes the news. Also you should have someone replace the lock on inner and outer doors after the C.S.I. team is done so that no one gets into either office for the time being." Walker answered Trivette who said okay and hung up. Walker called his house to ask his wife if she knew where Phil's wife Kim was at. Alex replied " As a matter of fact I'm watching Phil junior while Kim looks for a place to rent. Why do you need to know where she's at?"

" Alex I'll explain everything when I get there but you need to call Kim and have return to our house as soon as possible." Walker informed Alex who questioned her husband " What happened to Phil? Will he be all right?" Walker answered " I'm sorry Alex but Phil appears to have taken his own life."

" Oh god no. Walker are you sure?" Alex said. Walker told her " I'm sorry but he is dead and there was a bullet wound to the side of his head. We'll talk when I get home. Okay?"

" Please get home as soon as you can Cordell." Alex urged him and Walker assured her that he would be there shortly. Walker then called up Captain Grear from the police department and arranged for him to meet Walker at the ranch to go over the documents Holland had given him earlier in the day.

Chapter Six

When Walker arrived at his ranch Captain Grear was waiting there for him. Walker then suggested that they go into the barn so that he could show Grear what Holland had given to him [Walker] before he [Holland] had died in his private office. Walker also told Grear about Briton's two attorneys being in Phil's office and that they seemed to be threatening Holland. After going over the documents Grear said " With Holland now dead there isn't that much that can be done about what he's written in these documents. He's written a lot of times down for meetings with Briton but they all took place at either Heaven's Delight or The Devil's Hornocopia. And let's face it Holland was caught with a naked stripper in the back room of The Hornocopia during a drug raid. Walker from what my sources have told me the raid took place because a snitch informed Narcotics that there were drugs being sold in the back room of The Devil's Hornocopia but the only thing found that night was as you know Holland. Since no drugs were found the captain in charge of the raid decided that it was best for everyone concerned if his officers forgot about the D.A. being found with a stripper. Any good lawyer would get charges dismissed from this sort of evidence within a minute of them being filed. Unless we find something to back up Holland's claims we don't stand a chance at making a case against Briton anytime soon."

Walker replied " I know that but Holland wanted me to know about what has been happening with him ever since his father passed away. Also he gave me a last will and testament that I plan to give to Holland's wife who's with Alex at the house right now." Grear sighed then said " I guess we'd better go tell Kim about her husband before she finds out."

Walker and Grear then went into the house where Alex took her children upstairs while Walker and Grear led Kim to the living room. Knowing that it was something bad from the way that the two men were acting Kim said to them " Please whatever it is that Phil just did tell me and get it over with. Nothing can shock me about his behavior anymore." Grear looked at Walker who gently told her " Kim earlier today Phil gave me a manilla folder and some legal documents. After I returned to my office I opened the manilla folder and read the documents that were inside of it. They detailed Phil's meeting with Briton at The Devil's Hornocopia. Trivette then went to Phil's office to try and talk him into meeting with us so that we could help him. We were too late, your husband was found in his private office with a fatal bullet wound to his head." Kim stared at Walker in shock then denied it by saying " You're wrong, Phil didn't take his own life. He's scared to death of guns. That's why he was so dead set against me returning to the police force. Listen Walker when Phil was ten his mother was showing him his father's hunting rifles and she handed him one so that he could see what it felt like to hold one. Well Phil accidently dropped it and it went off the bullet struck his mother in her throat and she died from it. Phil doesn't even own a gun so where did the one come from that was used to kill my husband? Walker you and Grear had better get out there and find my husband's killer and do it now."

As Kim broke down in tears Walker left the room to get Alex while Grear said " I'm sorry Mrs. Holland but he was found by Ranger Trivette who had to break into your husband's private office that was locked from the inside. The gun was laying on the desk by his right hand." Kim broke in " But don't you see Phil is left handed. No I know that Phil has been seeing strippers and doing drugs ever since his father died but still there is no way that you'll ever be able to convince me that he took his own life. No way in hell."

Alex entered the living room and Grear backed away. Alex embraced Kim who looked at Walker who had re-entered the room and asked him " Ranger Walker will you give me your word that the death of my husband will be investigated by you?" Walker replied " We will do a complete investigation of the death of D.A. Holland you have my word on that. I will let you know what we find out." Grear also pledged " I promise you Mrs. Holland that the police department will leave no stone unturned in their investigation into your husband's death." Kim nodded okay and Grear took his leave. After awhile Kim asked through her tears " What else was in that manilla folder and the legal documents that Phil gave you Walker?"

Walker answered as he held out a legal document " They were a listing of the times that Phil met Briton in the back room of The Devil's Hornocopia and what he says they agreed to in there. Most of it was Phil agreeing not to prosecute Briton for his criminal activities and that Briton would... well keep him supplied with strippers who would...you know. Also there was also a last will and testament. The documents I need to keep as evidence, as for the last will and testament Alex will tell you what you need to do with it." Kim took the legal document and unfolded it and read it to herself. After she was done with that Kim said " One month he's throwing me and our son out of the Holland Estate and the next he's leaving it to us. None of this is making any sense to me. Phil was always on the straight and narrow side, at least until his father died and then it was like he became a complete stranger. I don't know what to do or think next."

" What you're are going to do next is to spend the night here. You can use our guest bedroom and your son can bunk in with the boys. We can figure everything else out tomorrow." Alex stated as Kim began to cry her heart out.

A short time later the doorbell rang so Walker answered the door to find his neighbor Daniels standing there. Trennon said " I come bearing a peace offering. May I see your wife?" Walker let him into the hallway and told Alex that Daniels was there to see her so Alex went out into the hallway where Daniels said as pulled a wrapped box from a bag and handed it to Alex " Please accept this as my apology for my accidently breaking your mixing bowl while it was at my house."

Alex opened the box to reveal a beautifully engraved large mixing bowl. As she was looking at it Daniels said " Once I saw you I knew that a lady as refined as yourself would appreciate having something as fine as this in her kitchen. You have to admit that it's a major improvement on that oh so ugly mixing bowl that your husband lent my wife when he was trying to flirt with her. Did your husband give you that as some sort of gift or to make up for something else?"

Alex returned the bowl to it's box as she replied " No. As a matter of fact the mixing bowl had been my mother's and her mother's before that. I thank you for your gesture but my husband will be the person who will replace that mixing bowl." Daniels tried to gajole Alex into accepting " Please take it, I insist. Besides you must know that your husband doesn't seem to be the type who would began to know anything about class or the finer things in life."

" My husband knows all he needs to know about class and the finer things in life. If you can't return that bowl to where you bought it from I suggest that you give it to your wife because I do not want it." Alex firmly told Daniels as she showed him the door. Walker who had watched the exchange said " Alex I'm not having much luck finding a bowl that looked like the one that you had. I've searched through several web sites to find the right one but I couldn't find one that matched it."

" Just buy me whatever one you think is the best one to buy for me, it's the thought that counts. I know how you hate shopping." Alex replied then went and checked on the children. Over the next several days Alex helped Kim with all the legal things concerning Phil's will and his burial. Walker told Kim that he would look into Phil's death for her because he thought that the timing of Phil's death was suspicious, coming so soon after Briton's attorneys had been in Holland's office threatening him. Kim returned to the Holland mansion with her son and put off returning to the police force.


End file.
